Dinesh Kamath's news item 'PIL against Ganesh Naik, kin' that was published in Newsband

PIL against Ganesh Naik, kin

First hearing on March 15 in High Court

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Sandeep Thakur is a Right to Information (RTI) activist and resident of Navi Mumbai. He obtained some documents from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). According to the documents, Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik’s nephew Santosh Tandel had allegedly encroached upon CIDCO land in Belapur and MIDC property in Pawane (Turbhe). In fact this place was being used for holding of official meetings by Naik and his family. Hence Thakur has filed Public-interest litigation (PIL) in Bombay High Court, claiming encroachments in Belapur and Pawane by Naik and his family.  

PIL also claims that Ganesh Naik and his MLA son Sandeep Naik have been using 'Glass House' on CIDCO land for official meetings with heads of NMMC, CIDCO, MIDC and also the police. This Glass House is allegedly owned by S Tandel, Naik's nephew. This 'unauthorized' bungalow called 'Glass House' has been built on the CIDCO property in Retibunder, Belapur. A copy of this PIL has been served to Naik, who is one of the respondents, along with NMMC, MIDC, state of Maharashtra, CIDCO and also Bavkhaleshwar Mandir Trust, whose trustee is Santosh Tandel.

It is strange that senior bureaucrats like the NMMC chief, the police commissioner and the MIDC chief who are supposed to oppose encroachment and illegal constructions on public lands are themselves attending meetings called by Ganesh Naik at a bungalow (Glass House) illegally developed on public land.

The Belapur bungalow is spread over 301 square metres on an allegedly encroached CIDCO property totalling 5,600 sq m.

The first hearing of this PIL will be on March 15 in the High Court.

NMMC says that it is not sure whether 'Glass House' that stands on CIDCO property is authorized. NMMC does not have any file regarding its development at all.

The strange thing is that Tandel has reportedly paid property tax of Rs 9.8 lakh to NMMC for the 'Glass House' in the past five years. Many residents of Navi Mumbai are interested in knowing the result of the hearing that will take place on 15 March 2013 in the High Court.